Doña Ana County, NM Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- UDC § 350-511.C, Keeping of small animals
- Minimum lot (no permit)
- Over 0.50 acre for poultry/fowl
- Density formula
- Acreage x 80 = max very small animals
- Area per bird
- 6 sq ft of open property area
- Setback from neighbor's home
- 35 feet minimum
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Doña Ana County only
Summary
Unincorporated Doña Ana County lets residents keep chickens and other fowl as "very small animals" once their lot is larger than 0.50 acre, per Unified Development Code § 350-511.C. Below that size a special use permit is required, and flock size is capped by a formula tied to lot acreage plus a 35-foot setback from a neighbor's dwelling.
The following regulations are established for the keeping of small animals such as goats, sheep, miniature horses and the like and very small animals such as rabbits, poultry and fowl in residential zoning districts with properties greater than 0.50 acres in size. If properties are less than 0.50 acres in size, a special use permit (S) is required... Very small animals. Minimum area of open property area (not including front and side setbacks or dwelling unit) shall be six square feet for each very small animal, providing that the total number of animals does not exceed the number calculated by this formula: Multiply the size of the property or parcel, expressed numerically in acres carried to two decimal places, by a factor of 80 [for example: 2.5 acres * 80 = 200 very small animals].
Full Breakdown
Doña Ana County's animal-keeping standards, UDC § 350-511, split livestock into large animals (horses, cattle, swine and similar) and small/very small animals. 50 acres; parcels under that size need a special use permit (S) from the Zoning Administrator. 5 acres times 80 equals 200 very small animals), and each bird must have at least six square feet of open property area outside front and side setbacks and the dwelling. A also apply: no animal may be kept within 35 feet of a dwelling on an adjacent parcel, and keeping animals is barred inside the required front, side, and street-side yard setbacks.
Enclosures must confine birds to the owner's property, and premises must stay clean, orderly and sanitary under state Environmental, Health and Livestock Department rules as well as County rules. D limits keeping to small domestic animals such as dogs, cats or birds, narrowing poultry-raising there. E. None of this reaches Las Cruces, Mesilla, Sunland Park or Hatch, which set their own animal-keeping rules.
Violations & Fines
Doña Ana County enforces § 350-511 as a general Code violation under § 1-20: a conviction carries a fine of up to $300, up to 90 days in jail, or both, and every day the violation continues counts as a separate offense. Keeping birds on a parcel under 0.50 acre without the required special use permit, exceeding the acreage-based density formula, or placing a coop inside a required setback are the most common triggers for a Code Enforcement citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many chickens can I keep on my property in Doña Ana County?
Do I need a permit to keep chickens on a small lot?
Can I keep chickens under this rule inside Las Cruces or Mesilla?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Doña Ana County
How Doña Ana County compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare Doña Ana County to another location·View the New Mexico animal ordinances overview
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